Josh Hyatt

If not for Ted Hoff’s curiosity, we’d all be using typewriters to text our BFFs. OK, not quite. But it’s hard to overstate how much Hoff’s invention changed the world, even if he downplays the impulse that led to the first mass-produced microprocessor.

Who says America doesn’t make things anymore? The U.S. market for smart-phone applications has soared past $1.5 billion, thanks to ingenious developers who pit vengeful birds against thieving green pigs, or help bowlers overanalyze their scores. Apple’s store currently offers about 225,000 iPhone apps, while Google’s Android Marketplace has 70,000 apps for handsets that run on the Android operating system.

His company designed the first portable defibrillator and collaborated with Ford on remaking the "driver experience" for some of its 2010 vehicles. The company is responsible for such contemporary creations as the Palm V handheld organizer and the stand-up toothpaste tube. Its customers include Samsung, the Mayo Clinic, and HBO.